


Sunkissed

by strawberrylace



Series: Summer Daze [12]
Category: Captain Marvel (2019), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Lifeguards, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/F, Summer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-02
Updated: 2020-07-02
Packaged: 2021-03-04 22:47:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,762
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25034170
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/strawberrylace/pseuds/strawberrylace
Summary: Carol hates the heat more than anything, so why does she work at the community pool? Perhaps a certain lifeguard may have something to do with it...
Relationships: Brunnhilde | Valkyrie/Carol Danvers, Carol Danvers & Natasha Romanov, Carol Danvers & Okoye, Okoye & Natasha Romanov
Series: Summer Daze [12]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1393936
Kudos: 20





	Sunkissed

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote another lifeguard au!! Enjoy!!

Nothing beats the heat quite like diving head first into a pool. The feeling of the cold water hitting the skin is a feeling that most take great pleasure in on a hot summer day. Carol was currently wishing that she could just jump in the pool right now, but she was on the clock and her eyes were focused on all the patrons at the community pool. 

"It's way too hot to function," Carol said to nobody, pushing her sunglasses up her face.

Carol looked down at her watch. Five more minutes til her shift was finished. Why did she agree to switch shifts with Steve? She did know why: hours were important and any cash she could make was a plus if she was going to be able to go on that road trip with Okoye and Natasha later this summer. Speaking of which... 

"Hey Danvers!"

Carol tilted her sunglasses down to see that she was being relieved of her duties for the day. Thank goodness for that, because she was starting to stick to the chair. As she peeled herself off, she could feel the sting of the stickiness on her bare skin. She winced at how much it hurt on the back of her thighs as she climbed down from the chair. 

"Busy day?" Okoye asked, lathering her face up with sunscreen before she went up the chair. 

"Somewhat," Carol shrugged. "But it's hotter than Hades today." 

"You always say that!" Okoye teased. "Hey, Natasha said there's a double feature going on at the drive-in tonight. I heard they're doing a throwback, featuring Bring It On and Coyote Ugly. You in?" 

"So as long as we can stop at the convenience store for snacks beforehand." Carol looked over at the lifeguard chair that was across the pool to see who was taking over for the next shift. She sighed in disappointment at who she saw, not that it would've made a difference anyway. 

"Val doesn't work until Saturday," said Okoye, noticing Carol's disappointment. "Aren't you working the next two days?" 

"Yes, why do you ask?" 

A small smile crept up on Okoye's face. "Oh nothing, I was just wondering." 

"Uh huh," Carol wasn't convinced as she knew what that look meant. Okoye and Natasha knew that Carol had a major crush on Val but every time they tried to encourage her to ask Val out, Carol would balk at the idea. Her biggest fear was rejection, which was understandable, but it had been a year since Carol had gone out with anyone and her friends wanted to see her with someone as they knew Carol and Val would make such a great couple. "Okay, well I'm gonna go sit in a freezer for the next few hours so that I can stop feeling so hot." 

"If you hate the heat so much, why do you still work here?" Okoye called out. 

"Because I need the money!" Carol called back.

\-------------------------------------------- 

Friday wasn't as sweltering as the day before, but the same couldn't be said about Saturday. Carol felt as though she was melting sitting in her chair. She had to lather on the sunscreen twice already. She turned to the left to see Okoye in her chair on the other end of the pool, using a portable fan to cool herself off. Across from Okoye was Natasha, chugging her bottle of iced water. And right across from Carol was Val. 

Carol had seen Val on campus prior to working at the pool a few times and admired her from afar. They didn't run in the same crowds but it wasn't until Carol was hired at the community pool that she got to know Val better. It turns out they were into a lot of the same things, such as music, sports teams, and choice in alcohol. Whenever Carol was around Val, she would become nervous, bumbling idiot who couldn't believe that a girl as beautiful as Val would even talk to her. Alas, the one thing that was holding Carol back from making a move was the impending fear of rejection, a fear that Natasha and Okoye were determined to help Carol get over.

"It pains me to see you pine for Val like that," Natasha commented on the drive over to the pool earlier. "Do we have to lock you two into a closet until you both get together?" 

"No!" Carol answered rather quickly. "God, what is it with you two and my love life?" 

"We are prepared to take drastic measures," Okoye commented. "Well, Natasha is prepared. I'm just here to watch the show." 

"What do you expect me to do? Just tell her when we're at work today?" Carol asked. 

"It would be nice," Natasha smirked at Okoye another before looking back at Carol. "I mean, you wanted to get close to Val, so you took this job at the pool and you're still chicken to ask her out? Please tell me the logic of this!" 

"Had I known I'd be so hot all the time, I would've found a more elaborate way to get to know Val!" Carol argued. 

"Would you?" 

Carol sighed. 

"Maybe today will really be the day you surprise us," said Okoye. 

Perhaps today would be the day, Carol thought. But right now she was trying to think of chilly weather as she sat in her chair, practically melting. The pool was busier than usual with everyone trying their best to cool off. Oh, how Carol wanted to jump in right now for the sake of just not feeling this unbearable heat. Since that wasn't going to happen any time soon, she figured that she could go for an ice cream treat.

Carol looked down at her watch. Break time. She wasn't terribly hungry but she wouldn't say no to an ice cold treat. She then looked back at Val from across the pool and took a deep breath. Was today really going to be the day? There was only one way to found out. She slowly got up from her chair, feeling her skin get unstuck from the hot plastic, and walked right on over.

As she got close to Val's chair, Carol wondered if perhaps this was too bold of a move on her part. But then she remembered that if she didn't do this now, she was going to keep waiting on the sidelines for her opportunity until it was too late. 

"Hey Val!" Carol's voice squeaked. She looked around to see if anyone noticed but luckily no one paid mind. 

Val looked down from her chair and waved. "Hey! How's it going?" 

"Good, good. Hot." Carol couldn't believe it. She knew she could say more than three words. 

"Yeah, I'm sweating," Val agreed. "This pool is practically taunting me, begging for me to jump in!" 

"Well, since we can't do that unless we're saving lives," Carol cleared her throat, "did you want to grab an ice cream with me?" 

"That sounds amazing! And right on time for break!" Val was quick to jump out of her seat to join Carol as they walked over to the concession stand. 

On their break, Val and Carol sat down at a picnic bench eating their ice cream treats. Carol opted for a creamsicle while Val got a strawberry shortcake bar. The two of them got to talking about their favorite ice cream flavors, summer pasttimes, and the shortness of summer. 

"It's just so crazy to think that we're halfway through the summer," said Val, looking back at everyone swimming in the pool. "I definitely have a few things I want to do but I don't know if I'll have the time before we all go back to school." 

"I feel you," Carol agreed. "I feel like I've been spending so much of my summer working that I haven't had a chance to enjoy it."

"Totally." Val bit into the last bit of her ice cream bar and tossed the stick into the trash can from where they were sitting. "But you're lucky you have Natasha and Okoye working with you. I only wished I had Bruce and Thor here this year. But they went to Europe with the summer with Thor's family." 

"I'm sorry they left you behind," Carol tried to sound apologetic. "But at least you'll be moving in with them once they come back from their trip!" 

"Yeah, that's true," Val nodded. "But I gotta say, I'm glad that I came back this year. This is actually going to sound silly, but if I hadn't come back this year, I wouldn't have met you!" 

Carol just stared at Val after she had admitted this. The ice cream bar was now dripping all over her hand. She wasn't entirely sure if the context of this admission was what she thought it was, so Carol blurted out, "I can't stand the heat." 

Val giggled. "What do you mean?" 

"I'm gonna be honest, I can't stand the heat," Carol admitted. "It's a great job and all, but I hate always being so hot!" 

Val couldn't help but laugh. "Then why did you get a job at the community pool?" 

Carol shrugged. "Because I like you. I mean, I had seen you on campus and figured this would be a great way to get to know you. Is that lame?" 

"You went through all that trouble just to get to know me?" 

"Yeah," Carol sheepishly nodded. 

A smile soon crept up on Val's face. "You know, when I said that I was glad that I came back this year and met you, I meant that in the way that I have been harbouring this massive crush on you." <

Carol was astounded by this admission. "For how long?" 

"Since you started working here. In fact, after the first day we worked together, I had to pinch myself because I couldn't believe how gorgeous you were." 

It was now Carol's turn to giggle at this admission. It had turned out they were two girls hopeless crushing on one another at one point. But the power of ice cream was able to bring them together. As Val and Carol went back to their chairs, Natasha and Okoye couldn't help but wonder what was going on between them. Carol would fill them in later. But in the meantime, Carol sat back down at her chair and snuck a glance at Val. She was blushing and there was no denying it. With that Carol smiled back and giggled. This was definitely worth being out in this unbearable heat.


End file.
